Borrowing a Blade

Borrowing a Blade

There was no Brocade Merchant Guild on Mount Qi.

Thus, Elder Liang had spent nearly two days searching for Lu Zhaojin on Mount Qi. Had someone from Luoxia City not secretly informed him, he would have had to make a great detour back to Yanling Commandery and seek out the Brocade Merchant Guild to investigate Lu Zhaojin's whereabouts.

On the road, he learned of the changes to the Dragon Ranking. Seeing his young master squeezed off the list while Lu Zhaojin had climbed onto it instead left him somewhat incredulous.

Thinking of Luoxia City's True Martial Division and the ranking's description of Lu Zhaojin, he knew from his own investigation that most of it was wrong. Thus, there was something hidden beneath the surface of this ranking.

Elder Liang knew that Zhao Rong was a man of countless schemes and tricks. After meeting him today, he could not help asking, "Young Master, are we really going to become Zhao Rong's blade and help him kill someone?"

Chen Jingchun had not come to Luoxia City to drink flower wine, so naturally, he had not accepted Zhao Rong's invitation.

He had come to Luoxia City to kill Lu Zhaojin.

Not only had Lu Zhaojin killed his younger brother, he had also squeezed him off the Dragon Ranking, turning him into the laughingstock of his friends. He was truly hateful.

So, upon learning that Lu Zhaojin was in Luoxia City, he had followed Elder Liang here as well.

He wanted to show the whole world that not just anyone could enter the Dragon Ranking.

Once he returned to fiftieth place, he would charge toward higher ranks. This time would be the moment the Chen Family's name resounded across the Great Ding.

Though Zhao Rong's calculations were involved, Chen Jingchun was no pushover either. Once Lu Zhaojin was dealt with, he would settle the score with Zhao Rong. "No matter. Elder Liang, time waits for no one. Let's go find Lu Zhaojin."

Elder Liang was more cautious than Chen Jingchun. Having lived so long, he had seen many prodigies who could not be understood by ordinary reasoning. "Young Master, should we investigate Lu Zhaojin more thoroughly? If he has anyone close to him, we could seize that person. It might prove useful."

Chen Jingchun said, "Before I left home, Father had already investigated. Lu Zhaojin has no other relatives, only his father, Lu Jinlin. My father has already sent men to find him."

He said seriously, "Still, these are merely petty tricks, unfit for the stage. This young master disdains to use them."

Elder Liang knew this was youthful spirit. Chen Jingchun had yet to witness the filthy ugliness lurking in the deepest darkness of the martial world, so many of his thoughts and methods remained superficial. But Elder Liang was merely an Attendant Elder of the Chen Family, while Chen Jingchun was its young master. He had little standing to instruct him. "As long as we can catch him, that will do."

In truth, Elder Liang wanted to do this because he found Lu Zhaojin exceedingly strange.

According to the intelligence he had gathered, before the Sihai Escort Agency was destroyed, Lu Zhaojin's martial realm had been stuck at the Ninth-Rank Realm for many years, unable to break through. His innate talent and bone structure had also been of the lowest grade.

Yet after the Sihai Escort Agency was destroyed, not only had his martial realm soared by leaps and bounds, reaching the Seventh-Rank Realm in mere days, his manner of handling matters had become decisive as well, as though he had become an entirely different person.

During this period, Lu Zhaojin had killed several Seventh-Rank martial artists. Elder Liang himself was also Seventh-Rank. At first, he had volunteered to suppress and kill Lu Zhaojin, but now he had no such confidence. Thus, he wanted to start with those around Lu Zhaojin and use them as leverage to force Lu Zhaojin to surrender without resistance.

Lu Zhaojin arrived at Brocade Tower and once again saw Li Xiufang's cold face. She seemed to be trying to put on the imposing air of an elder, but her acting was clumsy, making the whole thing neither fish nor fowl.

He had no time to play such games with Li Xiufang. Nor did he see Lu Wenxiu, which likely meant there was still no news about Zhao Jinzhi.

Lu Zhaojin glanced at Li Xiufang, his gaze inscrutable, as though asking, Is this the extent of Brocade Tower's skill at finding people?

Earlier, she had boasted that there was no one under heaven the Brocade Merchant Guild could not find. Yet two days had passed, and there was not even a shadow of the man.

Li Xiufang was somewhat annoyed, both by Lu Zhaojin's attitude and by Lu Wenxiu's ability to get things done. "He sent word back today. He said he found the Zhao Jinzhi you mentioned, but that person keeps his entire body wrapped in black robes all day, and his appearance cannot be seen. He is further confirming whether it is Zhao Jinzhi."

Hearing this, Lu Zhaojin felt it was eight or nine times out of ten the right person. That man should be Zhao Jinzhi. "Where did he find him?"

Li Xiufang said, "Lushu Commandery."

Lu Zhaojin nodded, indicating that he understood.

Lushu Commandery lay north of Yanling Commandery, northeast of Luoshui Commandery. The journey was somewhat distant; traveling there from Luoxia City would take at least ten days to half a month.

He wondered what purpose Zhao Jinzhi had in going to Lushu Commandery.

Lu Zhaojin knew Zhao Jinzhi was the Child of Destiny in this world. Wherever he went, some opportunity was bound to be hidden there.

Lu Zhaojin had considered treating Zhao Jinzhi as a treasure-hunting rat, but he felt it would be more appropriate to kill him. Otherwise, once the rat grew fat, it would become far too difficult to kill.

Seeing Lu Zhaojin preparing to leave as soon as he got the news, Li Xiufang's willow brows furrowed slightly. "Shall we talk?"

Lu Zhaojin looked at Li Xiufang's face. "What is there to talk about?"

Li Xiufang was momentarily speechless, feeling that her nephew's words were rather cutting. "I am your maternal aunt."

Lu Zhaojin said blandly, "I do not acknowledge you."

The words on Li Xiufang's lips went unsaid. She could only watch Lu Zhaojin leave.

Over the past two days, she had secretly sent people to Mount Qi to investigate Lu Zhaojin's life from childhood to adulthood. There seemed to be nothing remarkable about him. With low-grade innate talent and bone structure, he could not even have entered the Li Family's gates.

Yet after the Sihai Escort Agency was destroyed by the Zhang Family and the Zhao Family, Lu Zhaojin seemed to have suddenly awakened. In only a few days, he had gained such strength. She truly suspected that after Lu Zhaojin jumped into the river, he might have found some treasure in the Qi River.

After weighing it over and over, Li Xiufang had someone secretly send this information back to the Li Family, especially to Li Xiulan, her elder sister.

She repeatedly warned them that no one else could be allowed to see it.

Lu Zhaojin walked along the road back to the inn.

At night, this road was very quiet. The night spread through the streets and alleys, with darkness swallowing most places.

Only the Brothel District where Spring Flower Pavilion stood was brightly lit. It seemed that the joyous laughter of men and women drifted over with the night breeze.

Lu Zhaojin heard a soft ring. It was very close—right before his eyes, one might say. Ahead stood a young man holding a long spear, blocking his path.

The spear tip rested against the stone-paved street. Sparse moonlight fell over the other man, revealing a handsome face and eyes filled with fighting spirit.

This person was Chen Jingchun.

After learning from the inn that Lu Zhaojin had gone out for unknown reasons, he had sent people to wait nearby. The moment they saw Lu Zhaojin, they were to hurry and call him over.

Therefore.

He appeared here and blocked Lu Zhaojin's way.

Chen Jingchun flicked his long spear, its tip pointing at Lu Zhaojin, and demanded sharply, "Are you Lu Zhaojin?"

Lu Zhaojin did not know this man, but the fighting spirit rising from him suggested that he had come to challenge him. So this is the influence of the Dragon Ranking. "That's right."

Chen Jingchun said, "Good. Not only did you kill my younger brother, you also squeezed me off the Dragon Ranking. Today, I will see exactly how much you weigh."

Lu Zhaojin raised a brow slightly. He had not expected there to be a grudge between them. "Who is your younger brother?"

Recently, there had indeed been rather too many souls slain beneath his sword. It was hard to remember who was who.

Chen Jingchun's expression darkened slightly. "Chen Jingyi."

Lu Zhaojin suddenly understood, recalling the youth who had fired a cold arrow in the Cave Mansion on Mount Qi. But he had no time to think further, because the other man had already charged in with his spear, driving straight for Huang Long.